What Does the CDC Require to Bring a Dog from the UK to the US?

SHORT ANSWER

If your dog has spent the last 6 months only in the UK or other dog rabies-free or low-risk countries, the CDC requires four things for entry into the United States: a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip that a universal scanner can read, a minimum age of 6 months at arrival, and a dog that appears healthy when it lands. The UK is not on the CDC's list of high-risk countries for dog rabies, so no CDC rabies certificate is needed on this route, and your dog can arrive at any US airport, seaport, or land border crossing. A UK pet passport does not replace the CDC form, and your airline and destination state can add requirements of their own.

Why the UK Counts as a Low-Risk Country Under CDC Dog Import Rules

The CDC sorts every country into one of two groups for dog imports: high-risk for dog rabies, or dog rabies-free and low-risk. The UK does not appear on the CDC's list of high-risk countries for dog rabies, which places it in the second group.

That status matters because it decides which set of rules your dog follows. Under the CDC's requirements for dogs from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries, a dog that has only been in those countries for the 6 months before arrival skips the rabies certification steps that dogs from high-risk countries must complete. Since the CDC's current dog import rules took effect on August 1, 2024, the CDC Dog Import Form receipt has been the only document the CDC requires for these dogs.

The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) also lists the UK as free of rabies, foot-and-mouth disease, and screwworm in its country disease status lookup. In practice, that means APHIS adds no separate health requirements for a pet dog coming from the UK. You can confirm current APHIS rules on its page for importing dogs into the United States.

If you want the bigger picture of how the 2024 changes affect dogs from every country, not just the UK, read our breakdown of the CDC's updated guidelines for importing dogs into the USA.

How to Complete the CDC Dog Import Form for a Dog Flying from the UK

The CDC Dog Import Form is an online submission, and the receipt it generates is what airline staff and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers ask to see. According to the CDC's Dog Import Form instructions and dog import FAQs, here is how it works:

• Cost: The form is free. Each dog needs its own form.
• Who fills it out: The person bringing the dog into the US completes it. That can be the owner, a pet shipper, or a "flight parent" traveling with the dog.
• Timing: You can submit it as late as the day of travel, but the CDC recommends completing it a few days ahead. It can be done up to 6 months before arrival.
• Validity: The receipt is valid for 6 months and can cover multiple entries during that window, as long as the dog does not visit another country in between.
• Photo: You upload a clear photo showing your dog's face and body. For dogs under 1 year old, the photo must be taken within 15 days of arrival so it matches how the dog currently looks.
• Identification: The form accepts a passport, a driver's license, or an air waybill number. One additional owner can be listed.

Keep the receipt on your phone and on paper. You show it to the airline before boarding and to CBP when your dog arrives. The CDC updated the form system on February 5, 2026, but the underlying requirements did not change.

Microchip, Age, and Health Rules Every UK Dog Must Meet at the US Border

The form is only one part of the low-risk route. The CDC also sets three physical requirements that apply to every dog, wherever it comes from:

1. Microchip. Your dog needs a microchip that a universal scanner can detect. The CDC accepts any microchip brand, so most dogs already chipped in the UK meet this rule. Make sure the number on the chip matches the number on every document.
2. Age. Your dog must be at least 6 months old on the day it arrives in the US. There is no exception for young puppies on this route, so plan your travel date around your dog's birthday if needed.
3. Health on arrival. Your dog must appear healthy when it lands. A dog that looks sick can be held for further evaluation.

Once these boxes are ticked and the form receipt is in hand, your dog can enter through any US airport, seaport, or land border crossing. That flexibility is one of the biggest differences from the high-risk route, which limits dogs to specific airports.

Can a UK Pet Passport Replace the CDC Dog Import Form?

No. A pet passport is a European travel document, and the US does not recognize it in place of the CDC Dog Import Form or a health certificate. It still has value on this trip, because it records your dog's microchip number and rabies vaccination history in one place, which helps if anyone asks to verify those details.

There is also a UK-specific wrinkle. GOV.UK's guidance on taking your pet abroad states that pet passports issued in Great Britain can no longer be used for travel to the EU, so many UK owners are unsure which documents still count anywhere. For a US move, the answer is simple: the CDC receipt is the document that gets your dog through the border.

As Adam Melton, VP of Strategic Initiatives at Starwood Pet Travel, puts it: "We see lots of questions about whether a pet passport is enough to get a dog into the US. It's a handy record, because you can verify the microchip and rabies vaccination right there in the booklet. But coming into the US, it doesn't stand in for the CDC form or a health certificate. Treat the passport as backup paperwork and get the CDC receipt sorted before you ever book the flight."

What Paperwork the UK Side May Need Before Your Dog Leaves Great Britain

The CDC controls entry into the US, but the UK has its own export process. GOV.UK says an export health certificate (EHC) is needed when taking a pet to a non-EU country. For dogs, the certificate listed on GOV.UK is EHC 8860, "Export dogs to USA", which applies to dogs going to certain US destination states, such as Massachusetts.

Whether your dog needs that certificate depends on where in the US you are headed and on what your airline asks for. An official veterinarian in Great Britain handles the certificate, so build time for that appointment into your plan.

Emma Day, Branch Manager at PetAir UK, sees this play out every week: "Most of the hold-ups on a UK to US move have nothing to do with the CDC form itself. They come from airline paperwork or a microchip number that doesn't match from one document to the next. We check the chip number on every record before a dog leaves the UK, because that one detail follows the dog all the way to US customs."

When the Low-Risk Route Does Not Apply: Recent Travel Through High-Risk Countries

The low-risk route depends on your dog's travel history, not just its departure country. The CDC looks at every country your dog has been in during the 6 months before it arrives in the US.

If your dog spent any time in a country on the CDC's high-risk list during that window, it no longer qualifies for the simpler UK requirements, even if it flies out of London. In that case, the CDC's high-risk rules apply, which add rabies vaccination documentation and can restrict which US airports your dog may use. If your dog has traveled widely before the move, check the CDC's dog import page for the path that matches its history before you book anything.

Airline and US State Rules That Sit on Top of CDC Requirements

Meeting the CDC's rules gets your dog through the US border. It does not guarantee your airline will accept the booking, or that your destination state has no extra rules.

• Airlines set their own crate, documentation, and booking rules for pets, and some ask for a veterinary health certificate even when the CDC does not. Check the specific program your dog will travel under, because in-cabin, checked baggage, and cargo policies often differ.
• US states and local governments can require rabies vaccination for dogs living there, even though the CDC does not require it for a dog arriving from the UK. If you are moving to Hawaii, review the Hawaii Department of Agriculture's animal quarantine rules, which are separate from CDC entry rules.

How Starwood Pet Travel and PetAir UK Handle UK to US Dog Moves

Starwood Pet Travel coordinates UK to US relocations with our sister company, PetAir UK, which manages the UK side of the move. That covers vet coordination, export paperwork, and airline booking on the UK end, with Starwood handling arrival and delivery in the US.

For the full move, including cats, timelines, and settling in, see our guide to UK to USA pet travel. When you are ready to plan your dog's route, request a free quote and our team will walk through your dog's CDC requirements with you.

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